To most people herbs are thought of in terms of enhancing flavor in cooking. People also think of herbs is reference to natural medicine and oriental medicine. A very common use of the term herbal is in relation to herbal teas.

Actually an herb can be any plant. Herbal health is all about using specific plants (herbs) that have specific know compounds that are used in natural health and as medicine.

While herbal health may be thought of as using herbs like some form of medicine, herbs are also whole foods that support holistic health.

When I think of herb for health I feel it is the idea of using edible plants that have powerful nutritional healing and holistic health benefits to balance the body.

Often it seems herbs are mystified as being exotic potions or drug like compounds that only very specific practitioners or healers know how to use. While there is some truth to this, especially with formulas and combinations of herbs, there are also a whole range of herbs used for herbal health that are easily understood.

Herbal health is a modality for creating and supporting optimal health.

In China and in many cultures all over the world herbal remedies have successfully been used to promote health since the dawn of man.

Herbal health has been around forever and has been widely accepted by past and present societies all over the world. Yet there does continue to be a mistrust and a lot of misinformation about herbal health that persists in the the U.S. culture. Ignorance is partly to blame but there is also a concerted effort on the part of the American medical industry and the pharmaceutical industry to limit and repress the knowledge and use of herbal health therapies and medicinal herbs.

Natural medicine remedies, cures and therapies are often very inexpensive and because they do not offer the massive profits to the drug and medical industry infrastructure they are repressed. The government plays into this as well through the lobby influence of these industries. There have been ongoing efforts by these industries in collusion with the FDA and other governmental agencies to suppress and even ban the use of herbs for health and for treatment of illness and disease. Recently there has even been attempts to criminalize natural medicine practitioners and their use of herbal therapies.

The reality of herbal health is that herbs have been used for centuries to improve and maintain health and to cure illness and disease. As we look at the U.S. western medicine health care system today, we see that the U.S. population has evolved into one of the most unhealthy on this planet, while at the same time being the wealthiest and most well fed. The western conventional health system is heavily based on the use of pharmaceutical drugs to chase symptoms with no effective understanding or program for preventative health. People wait till they are ill then they are put on drugs to maintain their illness and often told to take the drugs for the rest of their lives. No actual healing or cure ever takes place.

Herbal health is based on a holistic health model that uses natural medicine and nutrition as a preventative process to avoid illness and disease. If people do get sick then the herbal health model uses herbs for natural medicine and nutrition to heal by re balancing the body.

Healing and curing can mean the same thing or can be two different perceptions. If you are healed of an illness or imbalance then you no longer have the illness or imbalance this is the same as saying you are cured. There are some limited occasions where you are cured with medicine or a process without going through a healing process. Like the use of an antidote, surgery or a serum that automatically cures your specific illness. Actually outright automatic cures are rare, most illness and disease is about healing.

Illness and disease is caused or allowed to develop from imbalances in the body’s systems. The use of herbs or natural health processes to create and maintain vibrant health and prevent illness and disease has actually proven to be far more effective over time than the conventional western medical model.

As long as massive profit is available from health care, illness and disease, then people will be misinformed and prevented from using the herbal health model. Herbs are an inexpensive form of effective medicine, for maintaining optimal health and for illness and disease prevention.

Whole herbal super foods are herbs that have been concentrated and prepared for consumption as a supplement to your everyday normal diet.

Amazon rainforest raw herbal supplements are eaten by people all over the world and the same herbs gathered and eaten in their natural wild state have been used to support the health by indigenous people in the Amazon for thousands of years.

Take a closer look at herbal superfood supplements, herbal medicines and whole foods as medicine. If you want to be healthy naturally and prevent illness and disease before it can happen to you, then herbal health is worth investigating.

Private health care in Europe is vibrant. Over the years, many private health entities have formed coalitions with public health care systems largely for good benefits; for all parties. In the US, private health care is not very popular owing to the systems that are predominantly viewed to benefit private health insurance institutions. There are both merits and demerits that ride with private systems of health.

The following is a look at top merits;

• The first advantage that you can tap into with private health care is quality services and efficiency. Unlike public health institutions, private players are in business to make profits by delivering excellent services. This will keep clients happy. The cut-throat competition among private players is another factor that keeps them on toes for even better quality services. Knowing that your health is catered to efficiently is all you can ask for and private systems usually deliver.

• It is through private health care that you have other options. Variety is a sure spice that can lead to better result due to another opinion regarding health.

• Private health care continues to ease the burden for governments. Those who choose to go private help the state maximize funds as well as spend less for public care. Overall, a country or society can progress in this sector.

• Public health centers usually have very long waiting lists and thanks to the private option, you can access help within the shortest time possible. Many lives are saved this way and conditions prevented from worsening.

• Private facilities are in most cases superior and although the funds to part with are substantial, you can buy comfort as you seek medical help.

• There is a lot of helpful information on how to get the right health insurance. This way, private health care cost burden can be eased. Health insurance companies with many policy options also dot the industry.

• Private players recognize the clients as very important in decision making. Therefore, patients can have a say about where and when they need to be treated.

• When it comes to medical experts, patients can actually choose a specific specialist or doctor to take on their case for eventual treatment.

• The process of consulting is easy and fast in private institutions of health. You can actually choose the right time to your convenience.

• Payment can be done directly by you or done by your insurance company.

• Consider getting the best in health insurance. Know the options and compare different insurance companies. Reducing overall cost is the focus while choosing the best insurance company. Online quotations on health insurance products are valuable. Reviews are extremely important to learn major lessons instead of making common mistakes. See the pros and cons of private health insurance

The question in the title is a very important one, and I think all of us should have this question in mind and search for a complete answer. The truth is though, that we only ask about health when we have a serious problem. A official definition of health is given by The World Health Organization who defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. For 1946 it was not a bad definition, but let’s face it, times have changed and life has evolved since then, so today we have 2 new aspects of health to consider: emotional health and spiritual health. If we take a step back and try to see the “big picture” we realize that each aspect of health influences the other aspects, for example if someone has an emotional problem it will cause physical problems, spiritual problems, mental problems and social problems too, so it’s very important to solve the problem when we first see it even if we don’t think that an emotional problem is important. In the incipient phase the emotional problem could be solved by simply talking to a friend, but if we let it develop it could need serious professional help. After this example I think you will want to know more about each aspect of health, so let’s see what they mean and how can we improve them.

Physical health – the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about perfect physical health are babies – they are the best example because they run all around the place and use their energy until they fall asleep. If we could do the same, I’m sure we would have a better physical health. A definition of physical health would be that it is a state in which all of the organs are functioning well 100% of the time, so in order for that to happen we have to give our body good nutrients, good exercise and enough rest. It may sound too simple, but it shouldn’t be more complicated than this.

Mental health – one good example for this is inventor Thomas Alva Edison, he tried and failed more thousand times to invent the light bulb, but he was strong enough mentally not to give up, and he eventually succeeded. Mental health is a state of well-being that allows you to reach your true potential and contribute to the community. It may seem strange for some of you, but actually helping others is the greatest thing that we can do and it keeps us happy and healthy, so in order to improve your mental health start by helping the people around you, I can tell you for sure that you will feel very good by doing so.

Emotional health – imagine a little girl on a Christmas evening opening her presents, that for me is an example of good emotional health, because gratitude and happiness are the healthiest emotions for us. I think emotional health is about feeling good, grateful, happy and not being afraid to share these emotions with all the people we interact with. A good way to improve our social health is by doing both physical and mental exercises that we like to do, for example if you like to play tennis and chess, please do so as often as you can.

Social health – the best indicator for social health is the ability to make friends. The social aspect of health is very important, because we are social beings and it’s scientifically proven that if someone is ill and their loved ones are with them, they recover faster than if they were to stay alone. A tip on how to improve your social health would be to understand the fact that “it’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice”.

If you’ve just lost your group health coverage through work, just got notice that your health insurance premiums are going up again, or just wish you had some control over your health care, a health savings account (an HSA) may be just what you need. An HSA offers independence from employer-based coverage, options to keep premiums low and gives you more choice in how you manage your health care expenses.

HSA Plans combine high-deductible health insurance policies with tax-advantaged savings accounts. While you’re in relatively good health, high-deductible plans may fulfill all your coverage needs because plans purchased after March 2010 cover regular preventive services even before you’ve met the deductible. For example, flu shots, a yearly checkup, and looking for dangerous conditions like certain cancers, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., are all covered even though plans with high deductibles cost less than full-coverage policies.

If you do need to pay for services that aren’t covered, some (but not all) high-deductible health insurance plans work with an HSA. These accounts allow you to earn interest tax-free and withdraw money to pay for qualified health care tax-free. While certain health-related expenses like aspirin, cough syrup or other over-the-counter medicines are not eligible to be paid for through an HSA, lots of other health-related costs are covered.

The National Institutes of Health recently recognized the benefits of what has been referred to an “alternative” health care in this country. With increasing demand, more health providers are offering these services in efforts to treat people more holistically. If you find your health insurance policy limits your choice of treatment, an HSA will allow you to take tax deductions for these expenses and earn interest tax-free to help you grow your savings quickly.

Health Savings Accounts Are Independent Of Employment

Unlike a flexible spending account that your employer may take back at the end of the year, an HSA is yours to keep whether you remain with your current employer or not. The balance in your account rolls over every year and continues to grow with interest without being taxed. If you withdraw funds for eligible health care expenses, the money is still not taxed even though you can also get a tax deduction for the expense without itemizing deductions.

Although you own your HSA, both you and your employer may contribute to your HSA Plan. In fact, contributions can be from other people, such a parent helping a child who is working a job that doesn’t provide health coverage. Contributions from anyone other than your employer are tax deductible. Contributions from your employer may be excluded from your gross income.

Even after you retire, you may continue to withdraw funds from your HSA for eligible health-related expenses tax-free, but you can also spend the money for anything you want and just pay taxes on the withdrawal like you would with an individual retirement account (IRA).

HSA Plans Maximize Your Savings On Health Care

No matter how many years you take advantage of the benefits of an HSA, your high-deductible health insurance plan will probably cost you less in premiums than typical plans with low deductibles. As long as you have a plan issued after March 2010, you’ll have coverage for preventive services without any co-payments or having to meet a deductible.

If you prefer an alternative form of health care not covered under your policy, you can still earn tax-free interest to pay for the services and lower your taxes with a deduction for the cost even without itemizing deductions.

Let’s stick with the concept that something is better than nothing. Low cost health insurance alternatives are the only solution to millions of people right now. If you’re uninsured you either don’t have a job, don’t have enough money to pay for an expensive plan or you don’t have good enough health for a standard plan. Which category are you in?

This article is dedicated to a couple of overlooked health care options that millions of uninsured Americans can afford yet they don’t have. Spreading awareness about these options is vital in helping improve our health care crisis.

The negative affects of not having health insurance are very straight forward. You end up with medical collections that ruin your credit and tax payers cover your bill. This is one of the reasons health care costs keep going up as the insured are now under more strain to help compensate for all the uninsured. Finding a low cost health insurance alternative that actually is within your financial budget can save you from adding to this problem.

There are two plans cheaper than short term health insurance that stick out and remain ready and waiting for you to jump on. The great thing about these plans is you don’t have to worry about being turned down. Anyone under 64yrs of age can enroll. If you’ve already checked for a short term plan and can’t afford the premium then this is your solution. One of these two low cost health insurance options will be within your reach.

Your first option is a form of supplemental health care. A fixed indemnity plan pays you a fixed amount of cash when qualified medical services are needed. The coverage is very broad and for many individuals a fixed indemnity plan is all they will ever need. Only a major, life changing health condition would be enough to outweigh the protection of these plans. A fixed indemnity plan is one of the most valuable dollar for dollar health care options available today.

The plan provides network discounts like an HMO, so you save money on your medical needs. Most insurers give you a card that you use like a credit card when you need a medical service. Fixed indemnity plans are low cost health insurance plans simply because you pay the monthly premium and don’t have to worry about a deductible or co-insurance costs. There is a set cash amount credited you for each service you receive. For example, a visit to your doctor would bring you a $50 credit. If you needed a name brand drug prescribed while you’re there, you would receive a $25 credit for the prescription.

The plan also covers allergy shots and immunizations, outpatient medical events, surgery, anesthesia, ground and air ambulance, emergency room or urgent care and inpatient hospital confinement. The primary insured on the plan also receives a built in life insurance policy to cover final expenses. If you’re stuck in the hospital, you’ll receive $2,000 a day for illnesses and $4,000 a day for injuries. As you can see, there is plenty of value in these plans, but how much do they cost you might wonder?

The cost of your premium for a fixed indemnity plan is based strictly on your age, but can also be affected by where you live. Pre-existing conditions are not covered under these plans so you’re not penalized for any health conditions including smoking. In most cases, the premiums are slightly higher than short term premiums…usually between $20-$50, depending on the deductible and co-insurance you might choose for a short term plan. As stated though, you avoid the cost of deductibles and co-insurance with a fixed indemnity plan.

For a base example, a 35 yr old male would pay $120 a month. This same male with an equal aged spouse and one child would run a monthly premium of $330, a slight discount for family pricing. By way of comparison, you could easily pay $330 just for yourself without factoring in the rest of your family or deductibles and co-insurance using a traditional health insurance plan.

We highly recommend Assurant Health’s “Health Access” fixed indemnity plan. It’s a very mainstreamed, popular choice used by many large scale companies like Wells Fargo for their employees. This is a tremendously underused health care plan that millions of uninsured people need to start considering as soon as possible.

The other option is a simple health discount plan. This is by far the cheapest route and for good reason. Health discount plans are not insurance, so technically it really isn’t low cost health insurance. Regardless, it remains at tremendous value when utilized.

You receive discounts on services you select that cover your entire family. There are three choices you can choose to receive discounts for and we will again use Assurant’s Discount Plan for this example. You can pick any combination or all of the discount options to customize your plan.

The first option is the medical discount plan which saves you up to 40% on physician and hospital services, prescriptions, dental and eye care. This option costs $20 a month. The dental and vision plan provides discounts on a broader range of services including eyeglasses and vitamins for $10 a month. There is also a prescription discount plan for $8 a month that covers additional drug, hearing and nutritional care.

Combining all three plans together provides substantial discounts for your family for about $38 a month. This is as cheap as health care plans get. The sad fact is that there a countless uninsured families who could easily afford the $38 a month for a discount plan like this and they go without. If you can afford to combine both of these low cost health insurance options together we strongly suggest you do.

Having a fixed indemnity plan with a health discount plan on top of it makes sense. You’ll maximize your protection and still be paying far less than you would with any standard health insurance plan. It all comes down to understanding your health care options and being proactive.

You’ll need to check to see if your state will allow you to enroll in either their “Health Access” fixed indemnity plan or the Health Discount Plan as coverage isn’t available in every state.